As a mother, I often sing lullabies to my children. In those peaceful, intimate moments, the soft vibrations of my voice create a connection that words alone cannot, surrounding us with love and safety. Enlightened Master IKYA once used this example when introducing the mantra course, and I was deeply moved by the realization of how powerful sound and its vibrations can be. This inspired me to join the IKYA Mantra spiritual education two years ago.
When I sing a mantra, I feel the sound resonate within me, creating vibrations that bring a sense of peace, balance, or clarity, depending on the mantra. At times, everything becomes still, as if the vibrations align with the world around me, bringing me into a state of deep focus and presence. In those moments, I can sense the energy moving through me, grounding and preparing me for what comes next.
IKYA often compares this practice to tuning an instrument, saying, “Before you start playing an instrument, you need to tune it first. If it is out of tune, it doesn’t matter how good your technique is, the music will sound bad. The same goes for us. If we are not tuned, everything we do will be out of harmony.” This analogy deeply resonates with me. If I miss my daily mantra practice, I can feel out of sync, but when I engage with the vibrations, everything falls into place, aligning me with my inner self and the world around me.
Each new mantra I learn opens the door to deeper experiences. Sometimes, I feel the vibrations connecting me to something vast and ancient, countless others who have chanted these mantras before me. Their presence, through the resonance of the vibrations, becomes part of my own experience, guiding and supporting me in my inner processes. This is an incredibly powerful sensation. The vibrations also sort of interact with the crystals in the IKYA Crystal education. While the vibrations from singing activate an internal process within me, the crystals offer insight into universal principles. IKYA describes this as the microcosm within the macrocosm.
What I find most enriching is sharing these practices with others. I often sing with my husband, work partner, neighbors, and the IKYA community. Being surrounded by fellow IKYA students amplifies the vibrations even further. It’s as though each voice adds to a collective resonance, creating a shared experience that touches us all deeply. As our community grows, so too does the strength of these vibrations, reaching out and connecting us in ways that are both transformative and profound.
I experience something similar with IKYA Mantra where I feel very much more in tune with our dogs and plants in our home. We definitely respond strongly to the mantras' vibration!